Bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction next week -- practical help?

SherryAF
SherryAF Member Posts: 31
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Well, after having a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy on November 18, nodes were clear, but margins weren't, so now I've decided to have bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. They are trying to get it scheduled for next week.

I need some practical hints for this, such as what type of clothes do I need to go out and buy? I was thinking about large button-down shirts. Certain kinds of pillows? Any other practical suggestions?

Thanks!

Comments

  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #2
    I am sorry Sherry that you
    I am sorry Sherry that you have to have more surgery. I had a lumpectomy, so, I can't offer good tips for you. Others on here will though. Good luck to you!

    Angie
  • lndsmom
    lndsmom Member Posts: 20
    #3
    Clothes...
    I'm sorry you have to have surgery again!

    I just had a mastectomy w/o reconstruction two weeks ago and can help a little with the clothing. I bought button down shirts and sweaters with buttons or zippers. Sweatshirts that open in the front were very comfortable also. (Not sure if you have a drain or not, but I found that maternity clothes hid the drain and were very comfortable too!)
  • stillgood
    stillgood Member Posts: 46
    #4
    Sherry, I had bilateral mastectomy
    Sherry, I had bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (implants) 7 years ago, July 2002. What I remember the most was that I purchased tops that buttoned down the front. I found it difficult right after surgery to lift my arms to get tops over my head. I remember sleeping sitting up in the recliner for a little while(probably my own fears of turning over during sleep.

    I know you are not looking for funny stuff right now, but make sure there is someone home to help you if you decide to take a bath. I got stuck in the tub and couldn't get out. Because I couldn't use my arms right away to help myself out of the tub. It's amazing to find out how many muscles are connected to the chest muscles.

    If I remember any other stuff, I'll send it your way
  • Tinabug
    Tinabug Member Posts: 158
    #5
    Comfortable clothes
    Sherry,

    I am sorry you are having to have more surgery. I am fairly new to this site since I just had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on Nov. 23rd. I came home from the hospital on the 2nd day after surgery & stayed in pjs with button up front until I had my tubes removed(10 days after surgery.) Since I have had my tubes removed, I go everywhere(except work) & I want comfort. I have been wearing large shirts that have zippers. My friend gave me a large fleece shirt that buttons up the front & it is my fave(cozy.) I have discovered that my chest gets really cold when I go out so I will wear tank tops under the zipper shirts for warmth. Since I am still flat, I like loose fitting shirts over the tanks when I go to dinner or the movies. The day I had my tubes removed my husband & I went to lunch afterwards which was my 1st time in public. I was so nervous & self-conscious, considering I went from a D to not even an A. However, nobody has even noticed & I am totally comfortable in public. The surgery wasn't a walk in the park, but it wasn't near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I wish you all the luck in the world for a successful surgery & speedy recovery. You & your surgeons will be in my prayers daily.

    Tina
  • SherryAF
    SherryAF Member Posts: 31
    #6
    Tinabug said:

    Comfortable clothes
    Sherry,

    I am sorry you are having to have more surgery. I am fairly new to this site since I just had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on Nov. 23rd. I came home from the hospital on the 2nd day after surgery & stayed in pjs with button up front until I had my tubes removed(10 days after surgery.) Since I have had my tubes removed, I go everywhere(except work) & I want comfort. I have been wearing large shirts that have zippers. My friend gave me a large fleece shirt that buttons up the front & it is my fave(cozy.) I have discovered that my chest gets really cold when I go out so I will wear tank tops under the zipper shirts for warmth. Since I am still flat, I like loose fitting shirts over the tanks when I go to dinner or the movies. The day I had my tubes removed my husband & I went to lunch afterwards which was my 1st time in public. I was so nervous & self-conscious, considering I went from a D to not even an A. However, nobody has even noticed & I am totally comfortable in public. The surgery wasn't a walk in the park, but it wasn't near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I wish you all the luck in the world for a successful surgery & speedy recovery. You & your surgeons will be in my prayers daily.

    Tina

    Thanks for the encouragement.
    It seems like my life the last two months has been so surreal. I do feel like the mastectomy/reconstruction surgery is the best thing for me, but I told my husband sometimes I have these feelings of panic sweep over me.

    The surgery has been changed to either January 5 or 12; will know exact date next week.

    Thanks for the advice.
  • pamelakara
    pamelakara Member Posts: 8
    #7
    SherryAF said:

    Thanks for the encouragement.
    It seems like my life the last two months has been so surreal. I do feel like the mastectomy/reconstruction surgery is the best thing for me, but I told my husband sometimes I have these feelings of panic sweep over me.

    The surgery has been changed to either January 5 or 12; will know exact date next week.

    Thanks for the advice.

    Bilateral mastectomy
    Hi Sherry,
    I had bilateral mastectomy on Dec. 10th without reconstruction. As far as clothing, just as everyone has said button or zippered tops are best. I have lived in button pj tops while I've been recuperating. I found that I could lift my arms (even though my surgeon constantly yells at me NOT to do that...healing purposes) less than 2 weeks after surgery. I do get cold faster and experience different feeling/sensations everyday as the swelling goes down and the incisions heal. The other thing you will want to have is small (8-9 inch) soft pillows to put under your arms...it will give you relief from the swelling/numbness. I got the pillows as a gift from the pharmacy where I will be getting my prosthetics from. There are a group of wonderful women who make these for breast surgery patients. I have used them a lot and am grateful that these women take the time to do this. You can call your local American Cancer Society to see if you can locate these as well.
    Otherwise, I just wish you a speedy recovery after surgery. I am very happy that I went the route I did. I wish you all the best and let us know how it all goes!!
    xxxx
    Pam
  • Lynda53
    Lynda53 Member Posts: 210
    #8
    these are comfortabe,not bad looking and free if interested

    This is an alternative hospital gown/jacket. Made by a 501c3. The also have a Jack Jacket.
    It has drain pockets,velcro high quality material and more, and it is FREE. It is offered to take to the hospital day of surgery
    No spamming, not scamming, email me private and I will be happy to send along the link.
    They work through grants, materials form big companies and of course donations. (susanbkomen)
    Their website asks if you would like your facility added to the list!
    They are in MA but I see that they have provided to many states. Even if they could not,I would be happy to pick up and mail you one from my cancer site, if you contacted them!
    The women's is all black, and mens is a baseball shirt style, guess which I chose! Go Red Sox (even though it is blue and black!
    it is ALittleEasierRecovery DOT com
    Peace
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #9
    Lynda53 said:

    these are comfortabe,not bad looking and free if interested

    This is an alternative hospital gown/jacket. Made by a 501c3. The also have a Jack Jacket.
    It has drain pockets,velcro high quality material and more, and it is FREE. It is offered to take to the hospital day of surgery
    No spamming, not scamming, email me private and I will be happy to send along the link.
    They work through grants, materials form big companies and of course donations. (susanbkomen)
    Their website asks if you would like your facility added to the list!
    They are in MA but I see that they have provided to many states. Even if they could not,I would be happy to pick up and mail you one from my cancer site, if you contacted them!
    The women's is all black, and mens is a baseball shirt style, guess which I chose! Go Red Sox (even though it is blue and black!
    it is ALittleEasierRecovery DOT com
    Peace

    I can vouch for Lynda it is
    I can vouch for Lynda it is not a scam and very useful. I also brought a small pillow around with me to support my arm. for awhile.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #10
    Lynda53 said:

    these are comfortabe,not bad looking and free if interested

    This is an alternative hospital gown/jacket. Made by a 501c3. The also have a Jack Jacket.
    It has drain pockets,velcro high quality material and more, and it is FREE. It is offered to take to the hospital day of surgery
    No spamming, not scamming, email me private and I will be happy to send along the link.
    They work through grants, materials form big companies and of course donations. (susanbkomen)
    Their website asks if you would like your facility added to the list!
    They are in MA but I see that they have provided to many states. Even if they could not,I would be happy to pick up and mail you one from my cancer site, if you contacted them!
    The women's is all black, and mens is a baseball shirt style, guess which I chose! Go Red Sox (even though it is blue and black!
    it is ALittleEasierRecovery DOT com
    Peace

    I can vouch for Lynda it is
    I can vouch for Lynda it is not a scam and very useful. I also brought a small pillow around with me to support my arm. for awhile.
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #11
    stillgood said:

    Sherry, I had bilateral mastectomy
    Sherry, I had bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (implants) 7 years ago, July 2002. What I remember the most was that I purchased tops that buttoned down the front. I found it difficult right after surgery to lift my arms to get tops over my head. I remember sleeping sitting up in the recliner for a little while(probably my own fears of turning over during sleep.

    I know you are not looking for funny stuff right now, but make sure there is someone home to help you if you decide to take a bath. I got stuck in the tub and couldn't get out. Because I couldn't use my arms right away to help myself out of the tub. It's amazing to find out how many muscles are connected to the chest muscles.

    If I remember any other stuff, I'll send it your way

    I just want to wish you good
    I just want to wish you good luck Sherry with your surgery!

    ♠♣ Susie ♠♣
  • Laura_Z
    Laura_Z Member Posts: 2
    #12
    Keep it Comfy
    Hi Sherry,
    I had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction on Nov 30th. I've practically lived in zip front fleece tops since then. Really stretchy camisoles or tanks that can be stepped into are good during the first couple of weeks. The hospital sent me home with 2 cotton camisoles that had pockets inside for the drainage tubes - they worked so well!!

    Sleeping upright on my back was tough. Wished I'd borrowed a recliner. I made do with a bunch of pillows, but it wasn't great. The good news is that I'm finally able to sleep on my side, again....I thought it would never happen.

    When I still had the drains in and couldn't shower, I did a birdbaths at home and then got driven down to the local salon for a wash & blow out. That made a huge difference!! Really lifts the spirits!

    Wishing you the best,
    **Laura
  • kimberlyrose
    kimberlyrose Member Posts: 15
    #13
    Hi. I'm sorry to hear that
    Hi. I'm sorry to hear that you'll have additional surgery. Like many of these other women, I had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in November. I found a great pair of flannel pjs at victoria secrets before my surgery and I lived in them. I also have a pair of fleece button-up pjs. Shirts that can be buttoned or zipped work best so you don't have to lift your arms or strain to get things over your head.

    One of the most annoying things was the surgical bras. Mine had adjustable straps that fastened with velcro just above my "breasts." They stuck to everything! I finally had my mother buy extra wide velcro from the fabric store so that I could cover up the unused velcro on the bra. I also had my drains for quite a long time. Loose fitting shirts worked best so that I could hide my drains on the side. Those cute cardigan sweaters that have only a couple of buttons at the breast line work great!

    Last week I finally bought a real bra. I was so excited to find a soft-cup bra that was padded. It's called an "up a cup" because it's supposed to make you look a cup size larger. This was huge for me since I was an H cup before surgery and was very self-conscious about not having breast in public.

    Hope this helps and I hope your surgery went well.

    Kimberly
  • aggiemom51
    aggiemom51 Member Posts: 7
    #14
    SherryAF said:

    Thanks for the encouragement.
    It seems like my life the last two months has been so surreal. I do feel like the mastectomy/reconstruction surgery is the best thing for me, but I told my husband sometimes I have these feelings of panic sweep over me.

    The surgery has been changed to either January 5 or 12; will know exact date next week.

    Thanks for the advice.

    howdy
    hi Sherry,
    I had bilateral mastectomy/reconstruction on Sept 4. I also had button down pjs from victoria secrets. (wanted to still feel pretty) I had 3 drains that I pinned to my pjs at first. after a few days I wore a cammisole that i bought that had drain pockets. this was great since I was only off work one week and didn't want the drains to show. I slept in a recliner for about 2 weeks with lots of pillows. it was great, moving to the bed was an adjustment.

    I had my daughter stay with me those first 2 weeks after surgery to assist with showering and drains because I'm single. you have a husband at home so he will be a big help. give yourself a week or so but use your arms to get your movement back..especially if you had lymph nodes removed.

    i used a pillow in the car for the seat belt.

    good luck and let me know how things go. are you having the expanders put in for reconstruction?

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